News

WEST VIRGINIA CONSUMERS FORCED TO PUNT ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY

January 31, 2007 12:00 pm

CHARLESTON, WV – West Virginia’s outdated Blue Law will force package store owners throughout the state to sit on the sidelines this Super Bowl Sunday as border retailers ring up the sales, according to local retailers and the Distilled Spirits Council – a national trade association representing America’s leading distillers.

“Despite planning ahead, party hosts will inevitably forget something,” said David Wojnar, vice president of the Distilled Spirits Council, whose organization has aggressively supported legislation to roll back Blue Laws in many states across the country. “Repealing the 1930’s ban on Sunday sales would provide adult consumers who choose to drink with much-needed convenience.”

Thirty-four states across the country currently allow Sunday sales of distilled spirits. Since 2002, 12 states have modernized their liquor laws by passing legislation allowing Sunday sales.

Wojnar added that in today’s modern economy, with dual-income households becoming the norm, Sunday is now the second busiest shopping day of the week. “These archaic laws hinder consumers’ ability to purchase spirits for their Super Bowl parties and deprive state coffers from additional sales tax revenue that would be gained from year-round Sunday sales,” Wojnar said.

Wojnar noted that a recent economic analysis by the Distilled Spirits Council showed that Sunday sale of distilled spirits in West Virginia would generate between $0.8 and $1.1 million in new tax revenue for the state.